The chair of the Rehabilitations Committees, Marielouise Musumeci, tried to justify the action taken on Valletta's oldest hard stone paving in St Christopher Street (February 13). The importance of this paving can only be emphasised because it is probably, though this is not documented, the only hard stone paving that survived from the change of the streets of Valletta to lava paving during Pinto's reign in the 1740s.
Ms Musumeci stated that they have embarked on an ambitious project to "repair" original pavings in Valletta following "numerous studies". The Valletta Rehabilitation Project had, more than 10 years ago, in collaboration with the Works Division, made trial holes in the streets and identified those that had the original paving under the more recent tarmac.
She also attacked former action by the same Office she now represents stating that in the past a "haphazard array of designs and materials" were used.
It is really incredible that she finds the need to attack in this way work done by the same Ministry and Office and also to state something which is completely untrue. Ever since its existence, that is since 1987, VRP had embarked on the use of only natural materials for paving, a combination of porfido, lava and hard stone. The first projects were Pjazza Regina, St John Square and Zachary Street, all done with these pavings. Then Republic Street and Great Siege Square followed. The same coordinator today was one of the architects involved in the last phase of this work
Following these pavings, a Master Plan for the paving of all squares and pedestrian areas was drawn up by architect Emmanuel Buttigieg of the Works Division in collaboration with VRP. I therefore do not understand the need for a new plan.
Furthermore VRP over the years collected a massive amount of natural paving, mainly hard stone and lava, removed from other parts of Malta and stored them in its stores in Fort St Elmo which, I believe, are now being dismantled.
With regards to the street which was the subject of my original letter of February 6, the information I have was that the paving was pulled up without any numbering. She states that they were "marked row by row" and that they are to be relaid.
I will take her word for it though the information I had was not this and in any case in similar circumstances Mepa would insist on individual marking of historic stones if they are to be relaid. (By the way, the work was not done with a Mepa permit but through a DNO which is incredible in itself!).
Furthermore she criticised the fact that the same office years ago had introduced pavements on the side of the hard stone paving and that this was "an accretion" and will be removed! I find this declaration very surprising. The street originally had concrete paving for a pavement. Of course when the street was restored, and there was no need for a new restoration as I regularly use the street, new pavements were put in on the side to ensure that the central hard stone paving is protected. I cannot understand by her declaration what they intend to do now, as the central hard stone cannot cover the pavement area as well! If as she says some paving blocks were dislodged they should have restored only those blocks and left the hard stone paving in its original state. I have heard that in fact they want to change the design, introducing a water run-off in the paving.
I go back to the first sentence in which I quoted her letter stating that original pavings in Valletta will be "repaired and restored". Original paving has to be treated in the same way as the façade of a building and should only be restored and kept as close to the original as possible.
I have written all this as I have only one hope for Valletta: that it should be treated as it deserves as an outstanding heritage of World Heritage standard. Contrary to what was stated by two persons in comments following up on my original letter, I have absolutely no other intention in defending the heritage of this city, our capital city, our really outstanding city.